Dear Friends in Christ;
In the momentous election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis, our sisters and brothers in the Roman Catholic Church have been given a shepherd of deep humility and prayer. Francis reached back to the roots of the episcopate when he asked the people of God to pray for him before he would bless them. He is known as a lover of the poor and a pastor who seeks the best interest of his flock.
I offer my warm congratulations, especially to my brother Bishop David Zubik of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, on the election of the first American pope! And I ask the parishes of this diocese to remember our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers, giving thanks for Francis in particular, in our prayers and at our altars this coming Sunday. May he be blessed with many years, and may the Gospel spread through his example and ministry.
Faithfully in Our Lord,
The Rt. Rev. Dorsey W. M. McConnell
Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh